The journey of the young man Pier Gynt, a feckless dreamer who abandons responsibility to all who care for him to inhabit a fantasy world of easy fame and fortune. Exiled from his village, he sets about winning and losing fortunes, gaining and losing respect, and applying his mental faculties to the point of madness.

The girl who once spurned him for drunkenness, Solvieg, has waited faithfully through the years, while he roamed the world not giving her a thought. Aged and disillusioned, his return to the village heralds his presence as no more than a myth, a fairytale, and unrecognized and unwelcome, he exiles himself to the forest. There, he realises that the core, the truth at the heart of the onion is, that he wasted his life utterly, and shattered by this discovery, he repents his follies. He is rewarded by Solvieg’s forgiveness.

Biographies

VIKRAM MOHAN, VIKRAM KAUSHIK

Both Vikram Mohan and Vikram Kaushik trained under the well-known Choreographer Fernando Aguliera, at the American Embassy School. Vikram Mohan also trained with Shyamak Dawar. Both Vikrams were part of Khilona’s 2-month intensive Theatre Workshop and both also perform as character voices in Peer Gynt.

ROBIN DAS

Robin Das, a post graduate (Dramatics) from the National School of Drama, joined its teaching faculty in 1977. He has since been involved in practice, research and investigation of theatre, resulting in a plethora of designs, productions of diverse genres, and development of teaching methodologies. His explorations have included dance, music and the plastic arts, creating new contexts and relevance for tribal culture. His play presentations constantly seek the inherent modern and post-modern elements inherent in our folk and traditional forms. His notable works in design and art direction include Shila Shringaar, Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, Hazariprasad Dwivedi’s Anamdas Ka Potha, Jaishankar Prasad’s Janamjay Ka Naag Yogya and Shudrak’s Mricch Kattikam, and set design for E. Alkazi’s Jaag Utha Hai Raigarh. and Costumes/Sets/Props for B.V. Karanth’s  Barnam Van (Macbeth) Skandgupt. He worked in art direction on Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Khamosh and Kundan Shah’s Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron.

He designed the sets, costumes and props for Peer Gynt.

CHIITTANANJAN TRIPATHI

Chittranjan Tripathy composed lyrics and the score for Peer Gynt. A post-graduate from the National School of Drama (Direction), he has had 10 years training in classical Hindustani vocal music, and has composed music for numerous plays serials and telefilms. An accomplished director, himself, his first major play with NSD, Taj Mahal Ka Tender, is a legend. He has been associated with Khilona for the last 10 years having composed music for more than 15 major plays.

VK

A graduate from the National School of Drama and a member of

NSD Repertory Company for 4 years, he is the founder and director of Khilona, India’s first company of adults performing works for children. Under his leadership, the group has taken giant strides towards assisting the NSD to set up similarly inspired companies.

Prolific in acting, directing and writing songs for children, he has written and adapted many plays for children: Pushkin’s The Golden Fish, The Clown’s Cry for the Moon, Grehon Ki Kahani, and The Rabbit King. He has also conducted several workshops in theatre production for children. He translated over fifty plays including Brecht’s The Chalk Circle, Edward Bond’s The Fool, Goldoni’s The Servant of Two Masters and The Fan, and Moliere’s The Mock Doctor. He has acted in the films Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai, Mileinge Mileinge, and Khosla Ka Ghosla.

He is the first children’s theatre practitioner to be honoured with the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in Theatre Direction (2005).